Copyright and neighbouring rights in the EU Internal Market

There has been significant harmonisation of the substantive copyright law in the European Union to reduce barriers to trade and to adjust the framework to new forms of exploitation. Common ground is also needed with respect to the rules on the enforcement of rights, i.e. on access to justice, sanctions and remedies regarding infringements. In order to grasp the full potential of marketing intellectual property rights in the Internal Market, the EU Commission believes that complementary measures on the management and licensing of these rights may also prove necessary. The Internal Market DG's task is to enforce the "acquis" on copyright and related rights; to advance it further and to modernise and adapt it to new developments in technology or the markets concerned as this is an evolving scenario.